Gathering

“I pin my hopes to quiet processes and small circles in which vital and transforming events take place.” Rufus Jones

Are you longing for a deeper connection with Friends in Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative)?

Do you thirst for what God is calling you to do?

Do you want to practice listening and paying attention to the movements of Spirit?

Do you want to explore the spiritual under-girding of your work in the world?

Do you want to explore your spirituality or your relationship with God?

Is this a time in your life when you can make this a high priority?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, IYM(C) Ministry and Counsel Committee invites you to participate in a new Spiritual Sharing Small Groups program under our care. Participants will be assigned to a group of 4-5 people who will meet regularly for 6-months to nurture each other’s spiritual lives by sharing and listening deeply.

Our next informational meeting is scheduled for April 9th at 7:00 pm.

This shuffle will introduce new participants to the purpose of the SSSG’s and answer questions from all participants.  Friends are then invited to join a small group. Each group determines structure and meeting times and will meet at agreed times using Yearly Meeting video-conferencing technology during the coming six months.

Register now for the Tuesday, April 9th at 7:00 pm Shuffle

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Or send us a note if you would like to learn more about the Spiritual Sharing Small Groups:

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MYM 2022 Program & Registration

MYM sched. paper 2022 V1

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5th Day, Thursday, July 22, 2021 PM.

• Introductions, announce readers, assistant clerk quotation
• 2020 Entertainment Reports
• Midyear Meeting Report
• Interim Meeting Report
• Ohio & North Carolina Epistles
• Reports from visitors to other yearly meetings
• Epistles selected by document committee
• IYMC Representative to FWCC

6th Day, Friday, July 23, 2021 A.M.

• Introductions, announce readers, assistant clerk quotation
• Yearly Meeting Trustees Report
• SS&F Foundation Trustees & Growth of Endowment
• School Farm, Head, Financial
• School Committee

6th Day, Friday, July 23, 2021 P.M.

• Introductions, announce readers, assistant clerk quotation
• M&C Report with religious education
• State of the Meeting
• Query responses
• Reports from JYM & Young friends?
• Book Table
• Special Needs Committee
• Website Committee Report
• Publication Committee Report
• Archives Committee Report

7th Day, Saturday, July 24, 2021 A.M.

• Introductions, announce readers, assistant clerk quotation
• Auditors Report & Treasurer’s Report
• Guidelines for request for reimbursement
• Representatives Report
• Pendle Hill Scholarship
• P&SC Report
• IYMC Representative to Earthcare Witness
• IYMC Representative to FCNL
• IYMC Representative to AFSC
• IYMC Representative to Friends Peace Teams Council

7th Day, Saturday, July 24, 2021 P.M.

• Introductions, announce readers, assistant clerk quotation
• Saturday afternoon Recorder’s Report and
• Meeting for Remembrance
• Nominating Committee Report
• Extra time
• Our Epistles and Special Replies
• Closing Minute

Reports not read in session

• Exercise Committee Report

Online Registration

Printable Program and Registration

2021-MYM-Program-Registration

 

Midyear Meeting co-clerks:

Jackie Leckband (Bear Creek) and Liz Oppenheimer (Laughing Waters) 

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Thanks to All who participated in Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative’s first -ever virtual gathering, July 24-26, 2020. It was wonderful to have so many F(f)riends join us from near and far, share meaningful conversation and gain inspiration for “Finding Hope in Troubled Times.” We wish you well and fervently hope to be able to gather with you in person in on the grounds of Scattergood Friends School for our 145th Annual session, scheduled for July 21-25, 2021!

Please Support Iowa Yearly Meeting 2020 If You Are Able So that all may attend and participate, no fees are charged to participate in Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative gatherings. We recognize that these are uncertain times, but if you are able to support Iowa Yearly Meeting Conservative, it will be much appreciated. There are costs to holding even a virtual gathering. And much of each year’s contributions go to support Scattergood Friends School: This support is more important than ever during the pandemic. We currently do not have online donation set up, but if you wish to contribute, please send checks to:

Jim Cottingham, 
1996 Delta Avenue
West Branch, IA 52358

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For sessions besides Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, we will be meeting in the main room like most Zoom meetings. We ask that you enter the room as if you were entering an actual room with the meeting (for worship or otherwise) in progress. Please mute your microphone as a default; the tech team may mute it for you if you accidentally unmute.

For sessions of Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, the main “room” you enter into will be treated like a lobby. We’ll confirm people present are registered, make sure you know the basics outlined here, and the place you in a “breakout room” which is the main meeting space.

In Meeting for Worship with Attention to Business, we ask that

• You mute your microphone (with the mute button on computer or tablet, *6 on your phone), 
• Unless you are on a phone, open the “participants” list (at the bottom of your screen on a computer, at the top on a tablet). 
• At the bottom of that participants list is a button “raise hand.” When the clerk opens up the meeting for members to contribute, please press that button if you have something to say, and the clerk will recognize speakers. When others are speaking, please press it again to put your hand down, and if you still feel the need to speak when a speaker is finished, press the button again. If you are on a phone and wish to be recognized, unmute (*6) and say “clerk please.”
• We encourage use of “speaker mode.” Look for the button in the corner of your screen that toggles between this mode and “gallery mode” where all the windows are the same size.

In general, if you are not going to be sitting attentively, either because of distractions at your location, or because you need to step away, we ask that you also turn off your video (next to the mute button) while you are not “with us” in expectant waiting.

We also ask that you try to use your actual name, not a handle or the group your account is under. You can “rename” yourself by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of YOUR picture, or you can ask one of us to do it. If you are calling in on a phone, we will try and match your phone number with a registered name so people know who you are; it may not be you, but it will be the main person/people who registered.

If you have problems connecting, please call or text Cheryl at (515) 360-0031, or email webminder@iymc.org. If you email, please include a phone number so we can get in touch with you ASAP. 

You can also contact the Host (look for the name near the top of the participants list), and chat with them using the chat function.

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Guidance Memo for 2020 Online Sessions

6th Day, Friday, July 24, 2020 A.M.

• Appointment of YM Committees
• Epistles from Conservative Yearly Meetings
• Scattergood School & Farm Reports (Farm, Head, Financial)
• Scattergood School Committee Report

6th Day, Friday, July 24, 2020 P.M. (1)

• Yearly Meeting Trustees Report (incl. S/G Foundation Report)
• Auditors Report
• Treasurer’s Report
• Mid Year Meeting Report
• 2019 Entertainment Committee Report
• Archives Committee Report
• Publications Committee Report
• Selection from Document Committee

6th Day, Friday, July 24, 2020 P.M. (2)

• Ministry & Counsel Report
• State of the Meeting Reports

7th Day, Saturday, July 25, 2020 A.M.

• FWCC Report
• AFSC Corporation Report
• Peace and Social Concerns Report
• Nominating Report
• Representatives Report
• Queries and Selected Responses

7th Day, Saturday, July 25, 2020 P.M. (1)

• Recorders Report
• Meeting for Remembrance

7th Day, Saturday, July 25, 2020 P.M. (2)

• Epistle Committee Report
• Special Replies Committee Report
• Closing Minute

Reports not read in session

• Archives Committee Report
• Book Table Committee Report
• Document Committee – Epistles from other Yearly Meetings
• Exercise Committee Report
• Growth of the Scattergood Endowment
• Quaker Earthcare Witness Report
• Religious Education Report
• Special Needs Committee Report
• Website Committee
• AFSC Midwest Region Report
• FCNL Report

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To learn about or review the IYMC business process you can read our Faith and Practice at LINK beginning on page 47. Some of the principles described there, and how we plan to carry them out via Zoom, are summarized below.

When the clerk asks for approval of a minute or report, you can use “thumbs up” to indicate approval without waiting to be recognized by the clerk.

People do not normally speak until recognized by the clerk. The clerk recognizes you (gives you permission to speak) by saying your name. Use ‘raise hand’ below the list of participants on the right when you wish to be recognized by the clerk. People who are participating via phone may say “Clerk Please” to request that they be recognized, because they can not use the hand-raising tool.

When someone is speaking, others listen attentively, not only to the person speaking but to the Spirit. We bear in mind that we are worshipers seeking to discover the will of God, which may be revealed through anyone. Normally, one does not continue to stand or leave one’s hand raised while listening in this way. In Zoom you can indicate that you are listening by lowering your raised hand while someone speaks. After the person has spoken and you have listened, if you find you still carry the concern, you should raise your hand again.

If you have already spoken to a point, there is no need to repeat yourself, because you can trust that everyone else will have carefully listened to you and considered your point.

Because the clerks and all participants will be listening attentively, we do not anticipate using the chat room to make comments during the meetings. However, if you cannot make yourself understood via audio for any reason, you may use the chat if the clerk has recognized you. If necessary, you may also chat privately to the Yearly Meeting Host, and the host will pass the message to the clerks.

When the clerk feels that she has gathered the sense of the meeting, she will say that, and ask if anyone else needs to be heard before she calls us into worshipful silence while she writes the minute.

The clerk will then read the minute and ask for the body’s approval. At that time, you may feel that the minute captures what is important, and you can give a “thumbs up” or say “I approve” if you’re on the phone. If you feel otherwise, you can either stand aside or ask to be recognized by the clerk in order to voice your concern. Sometimes a Spirit- led dissenting message can help the body find a new direction. Other times, the meeting may hear the message but continue in the same direction.

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Handout for Friday July 24, 2020 –How Does Your Life Speak? Small groups evening collection during yearly meeting session.

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